


The Scarecrow's "Gift"

by Fandom_Trash224



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Gen, Spooky, in which Jonathan is an Elder God, proofreading? idk her, so this little au was cooked up by a discord im in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2018-11-06
Packaged: 2019-08-19 23:03:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16544009
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fandom_Trash224/pseuds/Fandom_Trash224
Summary: Fear.Since the dawn of man, even before civilization began, there had always been fear in their hearts.And since the dawn of man, He has existed.





	The Scarecrow's "Gift"

_ Fear _ .

Since the dawn of man, even before civilization began, there had always been fear in their hearts. 

And since the dawn of man,  _ He  _ has existed. 

He has had many names over the years, each civilization giving their own name to fear, some even giving him the title of  _ godhood _ in the process, but it did not matter to the elder god what he was called, only that humans were  _ afraid _ . Afraid of death, afraid of love, afraid of fear itself, of  _ him _ . 

He has existed in many forms, but most modern tales depict him as one that was meant to scare small creature, birds attempting to steal from the farmer’s crop. He has taken to the role quite well, some say, though he could do without being so friendly towards the birds he was meant to scare. 

So many legends circled the elder god, who now hid in fields and amongst farming equipment, and one such legend was what drew a rather nervous looking young man, just aged 17, to the abandoned wheat field outside of his town, seeking the help of The Scarecrow.

“ _ Only a fool seeks out The Scarecrow, boy, _ ” it had said upon his arrival to the field, its southern drawl almost surprising him “ _ do you have a death wish? Was it a dare? Or… perhaps… _ ”

The elder god had manifested in front of him, a walking, talking Scarecrow, a crow perched on one shoulder, a scythe strapped across his back. His burlap face slowly spread into an awful, wicked grin that sent shivers down the boy’s spine.

“ _ Do you wish for my aid? _ ” 

The boy nodded, slowly taking out a small token, meant for payment.

“I need to get out, but I'm too afraid,” the boy said “please, I want to see the world. Please, take away my fear.”

The god’s smile dropped into a thoughtful look, tilting his head as he observed the boy.

“ _ Ah, _ ” The Scarecrow said, his voice smooth, “ _ you wish to live without me in your heart, do you? A request like  _ **_that_ ** _ costs  _ **_much_ ** _ more than a shiny token. An exchange like that, well… you may not like what it entails. _ ” 

“Please! I'll do anything!”

“ _ Oh, do you hear that? _ ” He turned to the bird on his shoulder, the smile returning to his face “ _ He’ll do anything, no questions asked! Shall we give him a gift, little one? Do as he asks, take what we wish? _ ” 

There was a pause, and the bird cawed, to which The Scarecrow laughed. It was an awful sound, filling every part of the young boy’s body with apprehension and fear until it stopped. The Scarecrow waved a long, spindly hand towards the boy, and instantly, he felt his fear leave him. He did not hesitate to pack his things that night, to kiss his mother and father goodbye, to take the first train to the nearest coast town. 

As he stepped off the train, the smell of the saltwater made his stomach churn, made his nerves stand on edge, and he knew it was not  _ right _ . He made a beeline for a cheap motel, inland but not far from what he had gone there to see, but the mere thought of it beneath him was enough to send him into a panic.

As he walked out onto the pier, darkness churning around him, he realized much too late what The Scarecrow had given to make up for what he took away. He fell to his knees.

" _ Oh sweet child, _ " he whispered to the young boy, who cried out to the elder god in agony when he found he could no longer gaze into the ocean he once loved so much " _ Why do you mourn? Does my  _ **_gift_ ** _ not satisfy you? _ "

**Author's Note:**

> check me out at gothamhell.tumblr.com


End file.
